What Are the Requirements for Receiving Alimony in Florida?

What Are the Requirements for Receiving Alimony in Florida?

Posted By
Law Office of Russell S. Hershkowitz, LLC

When a couple gets divorced, one party may be required to pay the other party an amount of money that allows them to pay for necessary living expenses according to the lifestyle that they established during the marriage. These payments are called “alimony” or “spousal support.” This blog discusses what a party must demonstrate in order to qualify for receiving alimony payments.

Types of Alimony

Florida law recognizes a spouse’s right to 4 different types of alimony:

Rehabilitative Alimony: Payments are made to help the other party to become employable or otherwise develop the ability to support themselves.

Permanent Alimony: Payments are made for a party who is unable to support themselves financially.

Durational Alimony: Payments are made to provide temporary financial assistance.

Bridge-the-Gap Alimony: Payments are made to help a party transition from married life by providing financial aid for short-term needs.

Alimony Requirements

In order to qualify for receiving alimony payments, a party must demonstrate a need for alimony for which the other party has an ability to make support payments. Evidence that tends to prove a party’s need for alimony include bank statements, tax returns, and bills for utilities, medical treatment, and credit cards.

Additionally, there are specific procedural requirements that must be satisfied to give a court jurisdiction to order alimony:

Alimony must be expressly requested in the pleadings;

The supporting spouse must be physically present in the district for which the court has jurisdiction; and

The spouse seeking support must serve process on the other spouse in person or by mail.

Consult an Altamonte Springs Divorce Attorney

Are you going through or planning on filing for divorce? If so, you should hire the services of an Altamonte Springs divorce attorney to ensure your rights to alimony are preserved. At the Law Office of Russel S. Hershkowitz, LLC, we have dedicated years of our practice to family law advocacy, including alimony issues. You can count on us to fight for your interests, ensuring that you receive a fair amount of financial assistance from your former spouse to aid you in paying for the necessities of life.